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McLeish praise for Murphy

Alex McLeish admits he would have had no hesitation in picking David Murphy for Scotland, if he had been eligible.

Last Updated: 17/01/08 7:41pm

Alex McLeish admits he would have had no hesitation in capping impending Birmingham City signing David Murphy, if he had been eligible.

Murphy is due to sign a three-and-a-half year contract at St Andrews after Hibernian accepted Birmingham's £1.5million bid.

During his time as Scotland coach, McLeish was impressed by the defender's dynamism and enquired as to his availability for the national team.

"I've seen David over a number of years since he came to Scotland and he struck me as a dynamic full-back," said McLeish on Sky Sports News.

"I thought it was a real coup for Hibs. His form flourished under Tony Mowbray and he got to a level where I made enquiries about his parentage, in terms of being able to play for the Scottish national team.

"If he had qualified I would have had no hesitation in capping him for Scotland. I felt he was at that level."

No move for Johnson

Meanwhile, McLeish has confirmed he will not be signing Dulee Johnson during the transfer window due to AIK Solna's transfer demands.

The Liberian midfielder has been training with Blues, but McLeish revealed he was unable to come to an agreement with Johnson's Swedish club.

McLeish said: "We won't be bringing Dulee in in the immediate future because his club are looking for a substantial fee.

"We have asked about the possibility of a loan, but, quite rightly, they want to hold onto him as he's quite important to them for the new season in Sweden."